November 2005
What NOT to buy
We judged an outlet cap sold in various packaging by Safety 1st as Not Acceptable because it posed a choking hazard to young children. This is a simple plastic plug for an individual electrical outlet, meant to prevent kids from getting shocked by sticking anything like a pin or paper clip into the live electrical outlet. There are two slightly different shapes of semi-opaque plugs. One model fits within a standard 1.25-inch-diameter choke tube meant to measure whether an object can get caught in a child's throat, meaning that it failed the test. The other semi-opaque model, with a slightly different shape didn't fit in the tube. But we found both in identical packages. We believe a consumer could easily confuse the two, so we rejected both models.
The 20-unit pack is no longer being distributed, but may still be on store shelves. The 12-, 24- and 30-unit packages are still available. Don't buy any of these because they all may contain some of the too-small plugs that are a choking hazard. Also, Safety 1st sells several child-proofing kits that contain the Not-Acceptable models. They include: Essentials Child-Proofing Kit with 30 outlet plugs, Family Room Child-Proofing Kit with 24 outlet plugs, and the Kitchen Child Proofing Kit. Avoid all of them. (Safety 1st also makes a clear plastic plug, which passed our test.)
The Safety 1st 10401 Swivel Outlet Cover, $2, also failed our safety tests. This is a wall-mounted electrical receptacle cover plate that uses a spring-loaded, rotating cover design. The user is supposed to insert an electrical plug part of the way and rotate the cover until the plug can be slipped completely into the outlet. But we found that the plate didn't completely block the outlet as it should. Enough of a gap was left to allow a thin wire, such as a paper clip or safety pin, to be inserted and reach the live terminal. The cover plate is non-conductive plastic, but the screw that is used to mount it is metal and makes contact with the underlying outlet, providing a ground. We judged the model as Not Acceptable because of the risk of electrical shock.
Don't buy either of these products.
We judged an outlet cap sold in various packaging by Safety 1st as Not Acceptable because it posed a choking hazard to young children. This is a simple plastic plug for an individual electrical outlet, meant to prevent kids from getting shocked by sticking anything like a pin or paper clip into the live electrical outlet. There are two slightly different shapes of semi-opaque plugs. One model fits within a standard 1.25-inch-diameter choke tube meant to measure whether an object can get caught in a child's throat, meaning that it failed the test. The other semi-opaque model, with a slightly different shape didn't fit in the tube. But we found both in identical packages. We believe a consumer could easily confuse the two, so we rejected both models.
The 20-unit pack is no longer being distributed, but may still be on store shelves. The 12-, 24- and 30-unit packages are still available. Don't buy any of these because they all may contain some of the too-small plugs that are a choking hazard. Also, Safety 1st sells several child-proofing kits that contain the Not-Acceptable models. They include: Essentials Child-Proofing Kit with 30 outlet plugs, Family Room Child-Proofing Kit with 24 outlet plugs, and the Kitchen Child Proofing Kit. Avoid all of them. (Safety 1st also makes a clear plastic plug, which passed our test.)
The Safety 1st 10401 Swivel Outlet Cover, $2, also failed our safety tests. This is a wall-mounted electrical receptacle cover plate that uses a spring-loaded, rotating cover design. The user is supposed to insert an electrical plug part of the way and rotate the cover until the plug can be slipped completely into the outlet. But we found that the plate didn't completely block the outlet as it should. Enough of a gap was left to allow a thin wire, such as a paper clip or safety pin, to be inserted and reach the live terminal. The cover plate is non-conductive plastic, but the screw that is used to mount it is metal and makes contact with the underlying outlet, providing a ground. We judged the model as Not Acceptable because of the risk of electrical shock.
Don't buy either of these products.
